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Crossin angered by PM's push for Peris

Labor Senator Trish Crossin has accused Julia Gillard of undermining the ALP's processes after she was dumped by the prime minister to make way for Olympian Nova Peris.

Ms Gillard wants Ms Peris to become the first indigenous woman in the federal parliament, saying she's been troubled about the federal Labor's lack of indigenous representation.

She has used her "captain's pick" to ask ALP leaders to put the former hockey star first on the Senate ticket in the Northern Territory.

"Nova has a track record which shows she will make a great contribution in federal parliament, but that's not to diminish the work of others," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

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Senator Crossin, who has been in parliament for 15 years, told reporters in Sydney she was told of the plan to oust her only on Monday evening.

"This announcement by the prime minister today totally undermines (the selection) process and undermines the right of members in the NT to preselect whom they will want," she said.

Asked if she would consider running as an independent, Senator Crossin said she would make a full statement in the next few days.

"Let me be really clear about this. My heart has been with the Labor Party for nearly 30 years," she said.

Labor was the party of reform and needed to keep the nation on the right track, she said.

Ms Gillard dismissed accusations it was ruthless to shaft a hard-working member of parliament, saying change in politics was inevitable.

"I am a big respecter of party processes, but I think there is a national significance here for our political party," Ms Gillard told reporters in Canberra.

There were "only so many positions, so there's some tough choices", she said.

Ms Gillard said she was "very proud" of Labor's work for indigenous Australians but was "troubled" Labor did not have an indigenous candidate.

That could have been remedied last year.

There had been speculation former ALP national president Warren Mundine could become Labor's first indigenous representative. Instead, the vacancy went to Bob Carr.

An emotional Ms Peris, who is not an ALP member, thanked Ms Gillard for the "amazing opportunity" to stand for preselection.

"I stand here before you all today not only as an Australian but also as a proud Aboriginal women, proud of my heritage and culture," Ms Peris told reporters in Canberra.

"I certainly understand the significance of this opportunity, and I am very honoured and humbled."

She said she had not been ready when first approached to run for parliament seven years ago.

Ms Peris attributed the CLP's victory at last year's NT poll to hard work by the CLP and a loss of focus by Labor.

"As an Aboriginal woman I have seen, and I've been around the ropes long and hard enough to know, that Aboriginal people have been disappointed with government for a long time, hence the intervention," she said, referring to the federal intervention in remote communities.

"This government has the stronger futures legislation which now hopefully I'll be a big part of that to ensure that voices of Aboriginal Australia are actually heard here at a federal level.

"I am going to give it one hell of a go."

Senator Crossin said preselection should be a matter for local party members - and she was consulting with them.

"This action has been taken without consultation or negotiation with the NT branch of the ALP or my input as the long-serving federal Labor senator for the Northern Territory," she said in a statement.